One of the cool perks about having a book club subscription (check out Book of the Month if you’re in the market for one) is the occasional opportunity to read a book as a pre-release. This beautiful novel, The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina, was my pick for August, and it’s timely that I finished it yesterday, because it launches on bookshelves today!  

What happened in a nutshell:

At the center of the Montoya family is the matriarch Orquídea, but she is shrouded in magic and mystery. She invites her family to her funeral, setting them off on a seven-year journey to find out her secret past, and who she is hiding from. Get ready for magical realism, multi-generational family drama, love, and betrayal. 

My favorite themes:

Family: The Montoyas are a little bit dysfunctional, as any family can be. They are all living their lives happily and far apart. One day, they are abruptly summoned together for Orquídea’s funeral. They deal with the aftermath of deciding for themselves what is the actual inheritance that Orquídea left for them. Did she leave them the land? Was the inheritance money or material wealth? Or was it something deeper? After the funeral, some family members fall even further away from the family tree, but others find that their magic and power are deeply rooted in their ties to one another.

My favorite thing about the book:

I really enjoy a story that centers on strong, stubborn women. Orquídea’s feelings, anger, and reactions are something I could relate to. Nothing like a relatable character that makes me invested! I also really liked how the story jumped from the past to the future and back. Not many books nail those transitions, but I felt that Córdova did.

My least favorite thing about the book:

I think there were a few too many characters. I know that Orquídea had a big family, but I’m not sure how necessary her half-siblings were in the story. The three main grandchildren and herself were enough for me!

My favorite quote:

Orquídea didn’t like it because she knew she wasn’t a flower, delicate and pretty and waiting to be plucked. For what? To be smelled? To sit in a glass of water until she withered? She was more than that. She wanted to be rooted so deep into the earth that nothing, no human, no force of nature, save an act of the heavens themselves, could rip her out.”

– The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina, p. 47

My wine pairing:

I changed it up a little bit from my usual red to a crisp chardonnay with an almost honey aftertaste to it. Lifevine Chardonnay is also lower in sugar and therefore calories (so yay if you are looking for a wine that won’t do *that much* damage to your myfitnesspal). I 100% chose this wine because of the tree and root motif on the label. You’ll see how that’s relevant when you read this book!

My rating:

9/10 – The premise of the novel felt so unique and fresh. I enjoyed Córdova’s writing style, especially the magical realism and strong theme of ‘family conquers all’ woven into two timelines. I also did not expect the ending. Maybe I’m a little oblivious, but I was very surprised! Also, I haven’t read a book with magical realism in a while, but it brought me back to the good ol’ days when I would read Isabel Allende in college! I enjoyed this book and recommend that you pick this one up!

What are your thoughts on Orquídea Divina?

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